Hiding in the Wolf's Den
by SackDantOur
Summary: So far, life had always been remarkably normal. Sure, I had a few embarrassing stories from childhood, but nothing too outrageous. It came as a bit of a surprise then when suddenly, somehow, I ended up at Beacon academy; the sole human stuck in a school populated by a colorful variation of supernatural beings known as faunas – a sheep attending a school for wolfs.


So apparently, sexy, female Bowser is now a thing. Did not see that coming…

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 ** _Chapter 1 – A hectic first school day_**

 ** _Posted: 26-12-2018_**

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A bump, and then movement. My body was pushed backwards before abruptly being flung forward. My head hit something hard, and still with a slight migraine I cracked my eyes open. Confusion entered my mind for but a moment, not comprehending where I was, before understanding forcefully slammed its way back into my head.

 _Shit!_ I cursed to myself, sitting up abruptly. Had I missed my stop? The bus was standing completely still, and worriedly enough I couldn't hear the engines. Oh, and the lights were of. I could only really see because of the sunlight entering through the square, clear windows.

Why had no one woken me? I mean sure, it was entirely my fault I'd fallen asleep while on the way to my new university, and additionally the chances of a stranger deciding to rouse the sleeping boy resting at the back of the bus were rather small, but still; the vehicle had obviously reached its end destination, and not even the bus driver seemed to have noticed that someone was still inside the large vehicle.

I stood up, and very nearly face planted into the dirty, rubber floor, but somehow managed to halt my movement by grabbing a hold of the bus seat in front and to the side. I apparently hadn't moved my legs in quite some time, and because of the uncomfortable position the bus seat had forced me into, it seemed like they had fallen asleep along with me.

How long had I been resting? It was still light out, which meant she couldn't be over 18:00, but really I had no idea what time it was. Picking my phone out of my pocket, I studied the screen. 16:14.

Huh… I'd been asleep for almost two hours… on a bus… and now had no idea where I was. This'd be a fun story to tell my sisters later, and with that I meant it'd be fun for them to hear just so they could tease me to death with the knowledge. Yeah… as embarrassing stories went… this honestly wasn't all that bad, especially compared to _some_ of the situations I'd somehow managed to stumble head first into, but I should still probably try to keep this to myself. Really didn't want to give my sisters any more ammunition, as they already had plenty of embarrassing stories they could share with my friends if they were feeling vindictive, as well as quite a lot of blackmail material.

I stood up, this time awake enough not to have to steady myself on the surrounding bus seats. I was still quite tired though, my eyes feeling unnaturally heavy, almost as if they were trying to close on their own accord, rebelling against my brain telling them to remain open. I hadn't slept all that long the night before, which was probably why I'd managed to fall asleep so easily.

I'd been dreaming too, but I couldn't really remember about what. Something about a massive dungeon like structure, and the sword in the middle. I'd been suddenly pulled towards it, at which point I'd woken up with a jerk, which was why I'd hit my head on the seat in front. Couldn't really remember anything else, though.

I started making my way forwards and soon I'd reached the exit, and luckily enough the doors had been left open.

The first thing to hit me as I exited was the strong sunlight. I squinted, covering my eyes with one hand. Guess I'd need some time to adjust to the light. Still, I _could_ see a little as long as I didn't stare too hard, and what I saw was… discouraging. Forest… a whole lot of forest, and that's it.

God, this wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

No wait! I still had my phone. Its GPS function should be able to tell me where I was, and in worst case scenario I could always call someone to pick me up.

I retrieved it out of my pocket and… no signal. Why didn't it have a signal?! It should have had a signal! And of course no Wi-Fi either. Why did things always fail me when I needed them the most?! Stupid, useless electronic devices!

 _Okay, let's calm down._ I thought to myself, doing my best to calm my rapidly beating heart. _Panicking has never helped anyone._ Then again, not panicking probably hasn't helped anyone either, so what the hell. Might as well scream like a little girl just in case someone happens to hear it, right?

The sound of voices pulled me out of my panicked state, and in a rush I sought to locate the source, going around the bus to the opposite side.

As the sight of other people entered my vision I visibly relaxed, most of the tension leaving my shoulders. The knowledge I wasn't alone out in the middle of nowhere helped calm my nerves somewhat, but even more then that it was the building right in front that stole most of my attention; couldn't panic if other distracting thoughts occupied my mind, like _how the hell did I miss that giant ass building?_

Oh… yeah. The bus had blocked most of my view of the school, and while I'd definitely seen it if I'd only turned around and looked up, my sensitive eyes and strong sunlight had discouraged me from doing so.

The building – and what a building it was – was really multiple massive structures joined into one, the center tower spiraling into the sky like an immense bonfire, the roof tinted the same color. Circling the structure was a three meters tall fence, shimmering in the sunlight like pure silver. It was a truly beautiful building.

At the top of the main structure I spotted a massive sign, with the words _'Beacon Academy'_ written with large bold letters. So this was some kind of school then? Yeah… come to think of it did kind of remind me of my old school, only much larger and probably a whole lot more expensive to build. Probably the kind of academy only rich kids attended; which made the fact it was located out in the middle of the woods kind of odd, but maybe they simply liked their privacy.

Better go ask someone for directions though, and maybe see if I could borrow their phone in order to call home, in case walking to the nearest bus or train station wasn't an option.

I approached the school gates, for the first time paying attention to the other people entering the academies ground. Mom had always told me not to judge people based on their looks, but well, going by their clothes they didn't really look all that rich. Most of them were actually dressed kind of strangely. Some were even wearing what looked like armor, as in _real_ medieval armor, which was weird… and did that girl have animal ears and a tail?

I couldn't help but stop to study the people around me. Those who didn't have metal strapped to their chests were wearing robes of various elegance, and I even spotted a few with swords strapped to their backs, and sides. This one girl even had what I assumed was a longbow slung over one shoulder.

I studied my surroundings in confusion for a few seconds before reaching a conclusion. It was really the _only_ logical conclusion. These people were obviously cosplayers. So was this some kind of cosplaying school? Was that even a thing? I'd never heard of any such schools, and somehow had a hard time believing the state would allow it. Maybe it was some sort of yearly school day thing, where the students were supposed to dress like fantasy character or something like that? You know, like a school-wide Halloween.

Anyway, it really wasn't important. Had to focus on figuring out where I actually was. The closest person, or rather the closest group, was a collection of girls standing off to the side, giggling to each other. I would walk up to them, only, you know… they were girls, in a group, and – when looking closer – all of them quite pretty.

Walking up to a group of giggling girls felt mildly terrifying. Kind of like cutting your wrist before jumping into a tank filled with sharks, really.

Okay. Perhaps that was a little unfair. I'm sure they were good people, but the shark metaphor was what my awkward, hormonal, teenage mind, decided to go with. What did it say about me that I couldn't even walk up to a group of girls to ask for directions? Once again I was reminded of just how pathetic I was.

Who to ask then? A guy? That would likely be easier, but to be fair most of the guys looked kind of intimidating as well. Generally tall, with broad shoulders; not to mention the armor some of them wore – while obviously fake – didn't help the intimidation factor much, either.

A sudden movement to the side draws my attention. I turn my head just in time to see as a small girl dressed in red and black from head to toe – hard to tell her age from this distance – gets hit by a carrier stacked with a multitude of boxes. With a shriek she topples over, the many boxes following along, burying her under their weight. Luckily they didn't seem all that heavy at least, as the girl managed to crawl out of her impromptu box prison with only minor difficulty.

A strange scene unfolds where a white haired girl, the one responsible for knocking over the first girl and likely the owner of all those boxes, that – now that I look closer – appears to be filled with clothes, starts screaming like a banshee, all the while pointing at the other girl as if it was somehow her fault. In the end, who I assume to be the white haired girls servants – considering the fancy white ropes she has wrapped around her frame, indicating her wealth – starts stacking the boxes back on the carrier. The ice princess, as I've so elegantly decided to dub her in my mind, gives the other girl one last glare, before turning around and briskly walking away, all the while her servants drag the carrier along behind her.

The other girl remains on the ground for some reason, looking miserable, and with a sigh I decide to approach. She must have noticed me as her head suddenly swivels in my direction, large, watery eyes looking up at me in surprise. She has a pretty face, although slightly childish.

And what's up with that eye color? It's pretty and all, but it can't be natural. Is she wearing silver colored contacts?

"Here." I say as I extend my hand. "Let me help you up."

"O-Oh!" The girl stammers in embarrassment, doing her best to make it look like she wasn't sitting on the ground, sulking. "T-Thanks!"

She takes my hand and lets me pull her to her feet. I momentarily marvel at just how light she is, as I could effortlessly lift her whole upper body with only one hand, and it sure as hell didn't have anything to do with my strength, as my arms were quite thin; at least for a guy.

She looks up at me shyly, and for but a moment I get the urge to ruffle her hair affectionately. I couldn't help it. She reminded me of Elsie – my youngest sibling, and the only one of my sisters who hadn't (yet) made it into her personal mission to embarrass me, every chance she got – although obviously older then my baby sister; maybe 13 or 14.

"Uhm…" She starts uncertainly, shifting awkwardly. "Could we just pretend like you never saw that?"

I smile, effortlessly slipping into my big brother persona; the one I always wear when talking to Elsie. "Of course, of course…" I start, teasing clear in my tone. "I never saw a tiny girl sprawled out on the ground… like an old, red and black colored carpet." I couldn't help but add, while attempting (and very much failing) to force down a smile.

She pouts, and the urge to ruffle her hair comes back with a vengeance. "Meanie…" She mutters. "Also, it's not like I want to be a shorty," yeah… Elsie didn't like to be called tiny either, "I drink milk!"

At such a cute proclamation the sides of my lips can't help but be turned up, and after a few seconds of pouting, she reciprocates the smile. Oh… she had one of those smiles. The kind that seemed to completely brighten your day, blowing away your worries.

"A-Anyway… thanks for helping me up."

I scratch the back of my head, suddenly realizing I'm not talking to my baby sister, but with a stranger – a girl stranger – and suddenly I don't feel all that confident anymore. "Well… no problem. Seemed like the right thing to do. Especially considering how miserable you looked."

Wrong thing to say. She turns bet red and covers her face behind her hands. "I didn't look that miserable, did I?" She whines.

"Uh… well…"

"Don't answer that." I shut my mouth awkwardly. "I just wish I wasn't so clumsy."

"Well, it wasn't all your fault. Half the blame can be placed on that white haired girl." I indicate in the direction the ice princess had left with one hand. "Plus, I don't see why she got so angry. Don't know what were in those boxes but it was probably just her clothes or something like that. No harm done."

"Well…" She starts, and this time it's her turn to sound awkward. "Some of them were clothes, but most of the boxes were actually filled with dust…"

"Dust?" I ask confused. Were they filled with sand?

"Yeah… the volatile kind. I was quite lucky honestly. If I'd _actually_ exploded on my first day, Yang would have never let me hear the end of it."

What? Sand was volatile? First time I'd heard of it. The small girl caught my questioning look, and completely misunderstood my unasked question. "Yang is my big sister. She's great and all, but a little too prone to teasing in my opinion." Like my big sisters then. "Ah…!" She suddenly gasps horrified. "I haven't even introduced myself yet. My name is Ruby," she then adds uncertainly "uhm… of the dragon clan."

Oh, yeah. You were supposed to introduce yourself when meeting someone new. Funny I'd completely forgotten. And what was that about a dragon clan?

She continues. "I know I don't exactly look the part, but see?" Pointing to the top of her head, she blushes slightly. "My horns have already started showing. Soon they'll be as big and powerful as my sister's!"

Looking closer, she really did have two tiny stumps, sticking out of her head. Huh… guess she was really taking this whole cosplaying thing seriously. "I'm, Jaune. Jaune Arc." I get the urge to continue that with _short, sweet, rolls of the tongue. Ladies love it,_ but another question pushes itself to the forefront of my mind. "So you're dressed like some kind of dragon-human hybrid then?"

"Well, yeah…" Ruby answers, crunching up her nose slightly. "I wouldn't really put it that way. But I suppose, technically we're _all_ half human _._ " The way she says that last word, well… it's not dislike per se, but there's just something off about it.

Never mind. She's just a little peculiar. Plus, I should really ask what I came here to ask in the first place. "So… uhm, I'm a little lost…"

"Ah, yeah. Tell me about it." Ruby interrupts me. "Beacon is huge, which in itself is really super cool, but it does make it kind of hard to find stuff."

"No, that's not what I-"

-again I'm interrupted as Ruby gasps, suddenly grabbing a hold of my arm. She points up towards the massive clock atop the central tower, reading 25 past four. "The opening ceremony is supposed to start in five minutes!"

"No, as I said. I'm not-Argh!" My arm is practically yanked out of its socket as Ruby grabs me by the hand and _pulls._ I'm actually lifted of my feet momentarily as I gasp in shock, before gravity forces me back down. Holy shit! What the hell just happened?!

"If we hurry we'll make it in time!" Ruby pipes up cheerfully, completely unaware of my inner confusion and sore shoulder as she pulls me along behind her.

Now, I'm honestly not entirely sure why I'm following. Maybe her cheerful tone made me want to see what she's so excited about. Or maybe I'm marveling at how soft a girls hand is. Or, maybe – and this is what I'm betting on – It's because I'm still dumfounded at the ridiculous strength of such a small girl, but either way I let her pull me all the way to her end destination. We enter a large room, already packed to the brim with a whole lot of other people, all in various strange getups.

"Ah, here we are!" Ruby cheers. "Beacons auditorium."

It's an auditorium alright, actually way bigger than the main hall of my previous school, and twice as beatifically decorated, with a combination of black and different shades of blue covering the circular walls.

It does look somewhat smaller though because of the ridiculous amount of people assembled. They're not forced to stand shoulder to shoulder in order to fit, but it's a close thing.

I do my best to catch my breath, all the while stroking my sore shoulder. "Wow… you're really strong…"

"Well, obviously…" she answers with a grin, "I'm of the dragon clan after all. Although to be honest my fighting style is more centered around speed, than strength."

Something heavy settles in the pit of my stomach. Isn't Ruby a little too into the whole cosplaying thing? Something feels off about this entire situation. _No, no. You're just overthinking things. Let's just figure out where we are so I can finally get out of here._ Should simply ask to borrow her phone; that way there'll be no more misunderstandings.

"Uhm, so, my phone doesn't appear to have a signal for some reason, do you think I could borrow yours…?" I retrieve my smartphone out of my pocket to show her it really is out of range, only for Ruby to stare uncomprehendingly at it.

She then widens her eyes to comical proportions, studying the phone as if she's never seen one before. But that can't really be the case, can it?

"What is that?" Oh, come on! "It's glowing, but I can't sense an ounce of dust from it." I stare at her awkwardly as she gently caresses the screen. "Oh! I know what it is, I've seen one before. It's an electronic device isn't it? One created by humans? Where did you get one?"

"Uhm…" That uncomfortable feeling in my stomach only grows stronger. "I bought it…"

"Really?" Again she gasps, covering her mouth with both hands. "Are you from a human family?" She almost sounds accusing.

I furrow my eyebrows, frowning slightly. "Ruby. Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?" This whole act, that is...

It _was_ an act, right?

"Oh… no, sorry! I didn't mean anything by it." She says, looking horrified. "I don't have anything against humans per se. It's just… you know…"

I didn't know. Not at all.

Someone to the side of me scoffs, interrupting our conversation. "You grew up with a human family…?" The voice is dark and gruff, suggesting it belongs to a male. I turn my head, only to come face to face with another teen, around my age. He has brown, almost reddish hair combed backwards smoothly over his scalp. And… then there is the armor, of course. Although luckily it doesn't cover his entire body, as that would have been more than a little ridiculous. Instead he has a single metal breastplate strapped to his chest, with what looks like a golden bird emblazoned on the front as decoration, along with armguards running down his shoulders.

Oh, and even though he's just maybe a quarter of a head taller than me, he somehow still manages to tower over my scrawny frame. "What? Uh…?"

"The name's Cardin, in case you're wondering, and I asked you a question. You from a human family?"

A part of me wants to just scream, _of course I'm a human! What else could I possibly be?!_ But for a reason I can't entirely explain, I don't.

Or well, I know why. It's because I'm having _that_ feeling. The one I get seconds before making a terrible mistake. I had it that time I decided it would be a good idea to attempt to get rid of the wasp's nest hanging to close to the playground, by sending it flying with a baseball bat, and I also had it that time at April Fools when my sisters attached a bucket of water above the door leading to my room and I was about to walk in; so, instead of screaming out in frustration, I answer with a simple, "yes. I am… from a human family, that is."

The other boy doesn't answer. He just continues to stare at me, making it clear from his expression he's not happy with my answer.

I turn back to Ruby, sending a questioning look her way, only she won't meet my eyes, studying her shoes meticulously, all the while nervously playing with her hands. It's in this brief moment of confusion that the pain makes itself known, originating from my left shoulder only to spread to my knees as they hit the ground.

"Man, you're weak." Cardin mutters, glaring down at me, all the while his claws – and I mean claws, as in actual fucking claws instead of fingers – buries into my shoulder. "Although considering the weak human species you grew up next to maybe it's understandable. I bet you even pretended to be one of them. Fucking pathetic."

I try to stand back up, only to fail miserably when the other boy – Cardin was his name – digs his digits deeper into my shoulder, undoubtedly drawing blood. I whimper, trying to shake him off in a panic. I don't stand a chance. How is it possible for a human being to be so strong?

"But while we're on the topic," he lowers himself to my level, revealing a feral grin, filled with teeth far sharper then they have any right to be. By this point that feeling in my gut has taken a nosedive, and the hairs on my body are standing on end. This feels bad. Very, very bad.

There must be a logical reason for those sharp teeth, right? It wasn't exactly common, but there did exist people possessing what were essentially shark teeth... I think. It wasn't completely unheard of.

Face at my level, he continues at a low voice. "You know what I did the last time I encountered a human?" He pauses, before shifting so he can whisper in my ear. "I ate the bastard."

I'd like to say I didn't let him intimidate me. That I was brave enough to look him in the eye, and stand up for myself. But the truth is I'm utterly terrified; not only because of the intimidating figure looming over me, inflicting a continues stream of pain, but also because of the general confusion and turmoil that's wormed its way into my psyche.

"P-Please let me go..." I try to squeeze out, but it comes of as more if a whimper.

Cardin only smiles. "And now you're begging. You really are-"

 ** _"Enough..."_** The voice cuts him of ruthlessly. It's feminine, but still has a strange, gruff quality to it. It's also very quiet, almost as low as a whisper, yet it manages to cut Cardin of, like a knife cutting through butter. His attention directed elsewhere, the pain momentarily leaves my shoulder, and I take the opportunity to turn my head in the direction of the new voice. Only, it's not new, as it appears to belong to Ruby.

Her eyes, normally so large and beautiful, are now narrowed into slits; as in, her pupils are actually narrowed into slits, like a lizards. Oh, and they're glowing, because why the hell not?

"Damn, human sympathizers." Cardin snarls in response, lowering his body into a defensive position as if ready for combat. "You're fucking everywhere!"

 ** _"I said... enough..."_** Her voice is still far lower than you'd think the situation would warrant.

Suddenly her skin seems to ripple before cracking, although considering she didn't flinch in the slightest it can't have hurt. From in between the cracks, something looking suspiciously like silver-colored scales emerges; slowly crawling up her neck before stopping right under the cheek bone, where sharp fangs can be seen sticking out from under her upper lip.

She's now looking a whole lot more intimidating, all the while I remain on the floor, shaking like the terrified teenager I am, way out of my depth. "R-Ruby?" I ask, shocked, barely able to believe my eyes.

She turns to me, revealing a small, reassuring smile, while exposing her terrifying fangs at the same time. I can't help but shiver.

As she turns back to Cardin the frown slips back into place. She won't say anything more, but instead simply remains glaring at the other boy, who suddenly looks a whole lot less sure of himself. "Fine." The teen bits out, lowering his head slightly as he takes a step back. "I shall stand down in respects to your clan. But don't think for even a second I'm actually afraid of you."

Turning around to leave, he throws one final glare my way. "You should be happy the dragoness has your back." He snarls before stomping away, leaving me and Ruby alone, once again. Well, relatively alone. We're still surrounded by people on all sides, all looking at me with various expressions of interest. Most simply look politely curious, while a small select few are turning their noses up at me in disgust. A minor, tiny part of my brain (the single, lonesome part that isn't utterly terrified), notes that none of the surrounding people look uncomfortable in any way, like most people do when witnessing public displays of violence.

I hear Ruby sigh and turn to look at her just in time to see the scales on her neck along with the fangs sticking out from under her jaws, recede back into her skin and gums respectively, while at the same time her eyes return to normal. She now looks like a completely normal – if somewhat oddly dressed – teenage girl, but, although I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around what I just saw, I know better.

The tiny girl standing in front of me is a monster.

I let her help me back up, accepting the hand she offers more out of reflex than anything else. She takes a step towards me, and like a frightened lamb I move backwards, away from the threat. "D-Don't touch me!" I cry, and immediately feel bad as an expression of hurt overtakes her features.

Not all monster then. I lament, remembering our first meeting only five minutes prior. Also girl.

I'm still utterly terrified, but the protective big brother reflex that takes over when I see her expression is much, much stronger. "No. I-I didn't mean-"

"Welcome to Beacon," for what is probably the third time that day, I'm interrupted, "and congratulations for making it in!"

Noticing that everyone around us has gone silent, I turn towards the podium, where a woman – fairly young and attractive my teenage mind somehow still manages to note through the panic – is standing, the podium raising her body high above the other students. She didn't actually scream, but she did have to raise her voice in order to be heard over the throng of people assembled.

When next a golden ball of pure light materializes next to her I somehow manage not to gasp in shock. Not because I wasn't surprised but because I'd already seen plenty of strange, not to mention terrifying things I couldn't explain, and really; an orb of light appearing out of nowhere, while strange, couldn't compare to Ruby suddenly growing scales and fangs for example.

The ball slowly hovered down only to stop next to the woman's mouth, and when next she spoke her voice carried, as if speaking through a microphone. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch, teacher and deputy headmistress of Beacon academy." Her voice held an authoritative quality that was hard to miss, and I – like everyone else – found myself listening intently, almost standing at attention. "I will soon elaborate on what will be expected of you at this school, as well as give some general information about initiation that will take place two weeks from now," I had no idea what she was talking about but a few of the students – Ruby included – mumbled excitedly, "but first, your headmaster would like to say a few words."

The next person to take the stand was perhaps the first individual to wear even remotely normal clothes. Although 'normal' was still relative. He wore what looked like a slightly oversized suit, mostly black but tinted a dark green in places around his neck and wrists.

"Thank you, Glynda." He said, speaking into the golden light floating over to him. "I'm sure most of you already know me, but nonetheless, I am Ozpin." His voice wasn't nearly as imposing and commanding as Glynda's, but instead sounded almost… gentle; kind really. "You are here at this prestigious academy, because you are the strongest and most talented amongst faunas kind. You are still, however, weak, so make no mistake; if you want to make it to the later years, or even make it through initiation, you are going to have to grow much, much stronger. Or else this place will eat you whole and spit out what is left of you."

Yeah… his tone of voice was very much at odds with what he was actually saying.

He continued, maintaining his usual gentle voice without effort. "As future protectors of all faunas, much will be expected of you. Many will be relying on you. Do not let them down."

He was quiet for a little while, just studying the assembled students. "Now, before I give the word back to Miss Goodwitch, I do feel the need to remind everyone of just where we are. This plane is separated from the human world by layers upon layers of powerful barriers. And while those barriers were mostly created to keep any stray human out, they are also meant to keep you, in. No contact may be made with the human-"

For just the tiniest of moments, I could have sworn the headmasters eyes widened just a fraction as they landed on mine, but then the moment was over and he continued talking as if nothing had happened. "-world without the faculty's express permission. Any such infractions may be subject to punishment and possible expulsion." He paused, letting all this sink in. "With all that said, if a human should, against all odds, somehow make it into the grounds of Beacon academy, obviously none of you are allowed to eat them." All around me people laughed. Even Ruby released a tiny giggle.

I didn't. Instead, I let out a small whine.

Okay. So, don't panic. Instead, let's go through what we know. This – Beacon – is some kind of combat academy attended by beings known as faunas, who are very much not human. That's it… that's all I really know… oh, and they may or may not eat humans, and didn't appear to hold humanity as a whole in very high regard.

God. This felt like some kind of terrible nightmare. It just didn't feel real. Would I be killed if I was discovered? A part of my mind – the part that still had a hard time believing all that'd happened – wanted to answer no, but considering all the things I'd seen today, I wasn't sure I could. I mean, for goodness sake, one of the students had even outright stated that he'd eaten a human before.

I turned around, noticing to my relief that no one appeared to be blocking the exit. Should I just make a run for it? I felt kind of bad about just leaving Ruby without saying a word, but at the same time this was a matter of life and death. Also, wouldn't she turn against me as well if she found out I was human? My big brother persona was rebelling at the thought but no matter how kind she'd been to me so far, it still didn't change the fact she was one of them.

Turning around slowly I started making my way towards the hall's exit. Ruby sent me a questioning look but luckily didn't follow, which I was pretty damn glad for. No one seemed to be paying attention as I carefully made my way through the throng of people, trying my best not to look suspicious.

I half expected someone to stop me right by the exit, but amazingly I managed to leave the hall without anyone raising a fuss. I picked up the pace but remained walking while within eyesight of the auditorium, but then after rounding a corner I started running.

I had no idea where I was, or even where I was heading, but anywhere would be better than here.

Entirely exiting the massive building and in doing so entering the outside courtyard, my heart was beating in my chest as I sprinted towards the main gates.

That were open! Ha! I hadn't dared believe, but it seemed I'd actually make it out in one piece.

Considering my so far horrible track record of avoiding dangerous situations, I should have known better. I really should have. But as things stood I was far too focused on reaching my goal and as such didn't notice the shadow moving in on me from the side until it was too late.

The next few seconds were quite confusing to my panicked mind. My body kept pushing forward while at the same time my sweatshirt decided to move in the opposite direction.

Unluckily enough for me my shirt was moving with much greater force than the rest of my body, and with a violent jerk my body came to a complete halt. Oddly enough though it didn't hurt, nor was I forced to the ground by the sudden shift in movement which I'd sort of expected when my entire frame went from running to standing still in under a second. It felt a little like an invisible force of some kind had righted me in the air, preventing my body from being pushed into an uncomfortable position.

What the hell just happened?

"Can I help you?"

The stern, feminine voice came from right behind, so without really thinking I whirled on the spot, coming face to face with one of the few individuals I really didn't want to be anywhere near. For the life of me I couldn't remember her name, but she was that pretty – but rather frightening – teacher who'd spoken before the headmaster. She was the vice principal or whatever, it really wasn't important. What mattered was that I really didn't want her of all people to stop me. Admittedly, I didn't want _anyone_ to stop me while fleeing for my life, but especially not a teacher, with actual authority. I had no idea how this school worked but a student likely couldn't _legally_ stop me from leaving school grounds, but it was entirely possible a teacher could.

"W-What?" I stammered dumbly, not managing to come up with anything better to say.

"Mh… Mr. Arc, was it?" She knew my name! Why did she know my name?! "The opening ceremony was not over. Why did you leave?"

"Uh… I-I wanted to take a walk?" God, stupid brain! Why couldn't you have come up with a better excuse? And don't say it as if it's a question!

The teacher narrowed her eyes, staring at me intently as I did my best not to squirm. "Well, no matter. I'm here on behalf of the headmaster." I felt my heart sink in my chest. "He would like to meet you personally."

* * *

 ** _Dum, Dum, Dum, Duuuummm! Man do I feel evil for ending it there. Am I evil?_**

 ** _Anyway, new story. I've wanted to write a RWBY fic for quite some time but for some reason I never got around to it. I had all these ideas bouncing around in my head and just didn't know which one to go with._**

 ** _The inspiration for this story comes from_** **Zodiac _; another RWBY fic by inkbender. In my opinion it takes a while to truly get off the ground but once it does it's a pretty great read, so I highly recommend it. Fair warning though; it's currently on indefinite hiatus._**

 ** _This chapter is just a little darker in tone then what I wanted, so I do feel the need to point out that drama will not be a main focus of this story. I mean, there must be some drama. There's really no getting around that. But this fic will mostly be centered around adventure, humor, and some romance later down the line._**

 ** _Check my profile for next chapter target date._**


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